“We played in the Western section,” remembers Larry Keel. “We had cowboy boots and hats. “We played ‘Red River Valley’ and ‘Wildwood Flower’ — songs they thought people would recognize,” reveals the Larry Keel Experience’s flat-picking front man of his first job as a professional musician — a seven-month contract at Tokyo Disneyland. “My brother … Read more
Southern-gospel story truly sings I wanted to thank you for [Tracy Rose’s] great article on Southern gospel [“The Secret Landscape of Southern Gospel” cover story, Xpress Dec. 10]. It was insightful and informative. As an avid reader of your newspaper, I wanted to let you know that, miraculously, I can enjoy your newspaper and be … Read more
Water you doing on Saturday? Rivers are only as clean as the myriad creeks that feed them. But how do you take care of a creek? Sounds like a job for creek keepers (trained volunteers who do just that). French Broad Riverkeeper Phillip Gibson wants to deputize a boatload of such folks to help him … Read more
“What makes these kids so unique is that they know what they don’t have: They really want to be part of a healthy family.” — Carrie Lauterbach, Adoption Plus After a risky pregnancy some years back, Cyndi McDaniel was advised by doctors not to have any more children. But even though she’d already birthed three … Read more
If hanging out in bars with wasted strangers no longer seems a viable strategy for scoping out your next potential relationship, and Internet dating feels entirely too frightening, take heart: A surprising and altogether different sort of social scene awaits. On Amboy Road in west Asheville, there’s a place where the wind blows through the … Read more
Haven’t made plans yet for New Year’s Eve? It’s time to get crackin’! Here are some options for you lollygaggers (check Clubland for complete listings): • Akumi (28 Wall St.; 236-2577): The sake will be flowing all night long (or at least until 2 a.m.). A DJ will spin dance music and there’s no cover. … Read more
Books are the preferable Kwanzaa gift, says local NAACP President John R. Hayes. Below are a few suggestions, most of them available at the library, or at local independent bookstores. • Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture, by Maulana Karenga. • Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America, by Lerone Bennett Jr. … Read more
“I note the obvious differencesbetween each sort and type,but we are more alike my friendsthan we are unalike.” Maya Angelou Kwanzaa ignores religious and national boundaries, says John R. Hayes, president of the Asheville chapter of the NAACP. The seven-day celebration is about bringing together a diverse group of people who share a common heritage. … Read more
[Ed. Note: This story contains the full interview that Xpress conducted with Rick Morris; the printed version was greatly abridged.] What could be better than ringing in the new year with Southern Culture on the Skids? “Sex with a centerfold?” suggested Rick Miller, the band’s guitarist and front man. “But how many of us are … Read more
